While the show began with Britton and Panettiere’s country star characters embroiled in a tabloid-like rivalry, through the seasons their relationship developed into a more complex one of respect. The show weaved the many stories of an ensemble cast with strong singing chops in a way that could’ve been unwieldy with so many characters. Yet, while not all story lines hit their mark, it remained engaging.

Though music played a central theme, the show addressed an array of topics, including alcoholism, coming out gay in an often non-tolerant arena, a peek into the inner workings of labels, family drama, romantic entanglements and the struggles with wanting and attaining fame.

This season has featured several guest stars. This week’s episode featured Kesha, and Kelsea Ballerini and Thomas Rhett also recently appeared on the show. Some of the cast is slated to embark on the UK leg of the Nashville in Concert Tour in June, where they’ll perform songs from the series as well as original tunes.